Animation: Just Say YES!

Ok, so I believe my last post was sometime in January. What’s the date today? March 28th? Tragedy.

I thought class five was going to be a bit of a let up than other classes with loads of animating. It was just as intense, actually it was a bit more intense than other classes because everything I would be doing afterward hinged on this class. So we just finished up class five a couple days ago and I have to say I am pretty satisfied with my short thus far. Granted it is just in layout but I was able to really put way more poses in this sucker than I thought I would. I feel like I’m pretty far into the beginnings of blocking as it is now so I am hoping that I can complete 38 seconds of animation in the next twelve weeks. Below is what I have completed thus far. The first shot is rendered (lights not completed yet) just to show the depth/focus change in the camera. I will also be extending this shot by about 15-20 frames to give it a smoother transition and more in focus time on my little guy. I am currently also working on bringing in more “noise” just so it doesn’t feel so dead in some shots. I also need some major overhauling in Shot four which I’ve been struggling with and which has been changing over and over for the past three weeks.

So I am vowing now to be able to post in this blog more and more in class six. It is going to be an insane schedule as my husband is also working on his short film during the next two months (live action) and with a five year old, a 6 month old and little sleep it will be fun, and a time period I’m sure we will laugh about later on in life. I hope.

I told you I am a procrastinator.  I haven’t written in some time, yet Spilly promised to make me write in my blog every Sunday. He lies I tell you, he lies :)  I kid, I love my spilly!

So we’re in week two of our story ideas for AM.  I proposed my five ideas last week in text form, sadly three of them were just a bit too “big”for a thirty second deal and so my mentor Shawn ground it all down to two.  He picked “Suck It In” which is the heartwrenching story of a baby and his pacifier (ok, not heartwrenching, I’m just dramatic lol). He also chose “Picture This”, another baby story, except this time an annoying father , a string toy and a severe amount of impatience are involved.  I’m leaning toward Suck It In because it’s less complex and I think there is a better chance to show more range in my animation here.  I still think it needs a bit more loving and a bit more of a payoff to be where I ‘d like it to be, but that’s why I’m here right, to learn how to tell a story.  Which, btw I am horrible at, if you can’t tell by reading my blog

So this week we are left to do two video pitches on the two stories chosen between us and our mentors.  I’m a bit in “dread” mode because I haven’t been in front of a camera in a while and well, my last pregnancy wasn’t too kind to the ol’  Kelley if you know what  I mean.  You don’t?  Oh.  It means I’m a larger version of my previous self haha!   Oh well, things could be worse than having put on a few extra pounds I suppose.

But I’m getting off track here, I’m dreading the cam because I constantly acknowledge that I’m on camera.  I have a hard time tuning that part out and just telling the story, like I would to someone I was having drinks with or something more casual like that.  I’m also having a hard time with how much acting I should do and how many times I can avoid saying “um” or “like” haha!

Oh well, I should have them up soon and hopefully they won’t be horrid and hopefully I will find a gem of a story in the clutter of my brain

My girls over break

I believe is what Tom Petty once sang.  It’s 11:15 am here on the east coast.  My sources tell me that AM break will officially be over at 12pm EST, so fourty five minutes until I find out who my next great mentor will be for class five.  Ah to read the forums again, watch the lectures and just be in the mix again with school will be so great.  This break went by amazingly fast.  While I am extremely excited to start back at AM I am a little sad that the loads of free time I had to spend with the kids will be greatly diminished.

After much debating Doug and I decided to start keeping lily home from daycare in about a month.  Financially it just wasn’t feasible and well, I miss her terribly.  The thought that she will be going to “real” school in the fall as a big five year old scares me to death, even more scary is the possibility of me getting a job that keeps me working many hours a day, reducing my time with my little family.  So basically that is why I decided to keep her home now, to have that last hoorah if you will.  Besides she’s awesome, and awesome is always nice to have around.

Luna is doing well and finally on somewhat of a nap schedule which should make this term a bit more bearable than the last.  Having a newborn during class four was somewhat of an “experience” if you will.  I can promise I will never do THAT again

Now that she’s approaching the four month mark and I’ve become less afraid to put her in her crib for naps life should be a little less hectic during the day, allowing me a little more time to work on school and spend time with lily.  This term is the beginning of our short film.  We have to come up with five ideas and at this point I am only at four.  Three of which need some major fleshing out.  I’m positive I’ll come up with some more ideas in the next week once my brain returns to “work” mode, not entirely remaining in “mommy” mode.

Well, so much for that nap, she’s not sleeping yet, off to do a pacifier run!

Only forty minutes to go!

yes, we stayed in

I love Michael Cera.  I mean I loved him back when he was just George Michael to me, but I love him even more since Juno.  And well I love yellow running shorts as well.

So yesterday was a big movie day for me. I cannot remember the last time I actually got to go and see two movies in a time period of about 5.5 hours. First I took Lily to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. Sigh. It was “ok” at best really. I was hoping at least Jason Lee was going to be somewhat amusing as “dave”, but he was pretty weak. The one thing that should have been done right, really wasn’t: when he yelled the trademark “AAAALVIN”. It sounded more like he was singing it, not that he was angry, which is what I remember from the cartoon version so many years ago. On the whole he was just a pussycat of a character, kind of a cross between his character Earl (My name is Earl) and well, Mr. Rogers.

More importantly let’s talk about the animation. In my opinion it was so so at best. There was some real opportunity for some great moments , but they were completely overshadowed by crazy camera shots and out of focus shots really. I often wondered while watching it if the projector at the theatre was going wonky, but no , it was just the movie. The ‘munks could have been pushed alot more and some more close ups on them. Half the time I felt like I was struggling to really see there facial expressions because the shots were so far away.

I have to say tho that Theodore was sweet

On to Juno

By far the best movie of the year. And those of you who know me would be thinking “Wait Kel, I thought “Once” was your fav. movie of the year”. Well you’re right, but Once came out originally in 06, so there is no competition

Beautifully written and even more wonderfully acted. Every casting move in this movie was perfect. Perfect, and I rarely even say that. And no offense to Jennifer Garner, but I really used to think she had little range, and actually quite disliked her acting all together, but she proved me wrong in this film. I actually think she should be nominated for this role. Hell ALL of them should be. Diablo Cody (sp?) is my new heroine (and I don’t mean the drug). I highly recommend that you not only go see this movie but that you buy it when it is released on DVD. This is a household must.

Alright so those are my two movie reviews. Like I said, I don’t get out much and I rarely get to see two movies in a day, let alone a month, so don’t expect movie reviews from me on a regular basis Unless of course you wish to offer your babysitting services~!

Im going to see Alvin and the Chipmunks in about twenty minutes, my oldest has been sick all weekend and she is finally feeling better so we’re off to see that.  It’s pretty much the only thing out we haven’t seen, I’m semi excited by it, mainly because I like to watch any animation, good or bad, so we’ll see how it does in that department.  I will post more on it when I get back.

There is a heating issue in this house.  Running at about 68 degrees and the upstairs is a sauna.  Turn it down, the first floor becomes the arctic circle.  I feel like I”m going through menopause at 30 every morning I wake up.

Today is the day I’m going to get some animation done.  I really need to go back to my past assignments and clean them up, especially now that I have a little more of a clue when it comes to splines and the Ge (not a completely clue, but more of one).   School starts back up soon and honestly I can’t wait.  The break was nice but I always feel completely zombie like during breaks.  I don’t know what to do with myself when I’m on break and not running on 2 hours of sleep and pulling all nighters.  I’m not me without the chaos.

Hello and thank you for stopping by. It’s ok if you’re late, I’m a bit late as well. I started a blog last year, when I began AnimationMentor. I posted to it twice. I am a procrastinator. I have vowed to not be one any longer, hence the new blog, a year into the program. Having just completed class four and feeling so so about my animation capability (it’s not horrible for never having animated before) I decided I certainly needed an outlet for my insanity. Whether or not anyone reads this, that’s fine, I am comforted in knowing that I am ranting to a helpless keyboard, rather than screaming at my husband. Poor soul.